


A Simple Start For Greatness

by AitanaTheFangirl



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Backstory, Filling plotholes, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-19 11:09:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10638627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AitanaTheFangirl/pseuds/AitanaTheFangirl
Summary: We all know that Link and Rusl are close friends. But how did things get to be that way?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Something new!~ My take on pre-Twilight Princess, covering Link's backstory from Rusl's PoV. Someone wanted to see my thoughts on Link's backstory, so here it is. ^_^

    Link was like a son I never had.

    Uli and I had gone for a walk in the woods, long before we were married. The setting sun hit the leaves in the treetops just right, making her hair look like spun gold. I told her so, and it made her blush.

    A baby’s cry pierced the silence in the woods. 

    My right hand instinctively went to my sword: monsters often sounded like crying babies or small children to lure Hylians to their lairs.

    Uli noticed how tense I was. “Rusl…?”

    “ _ Shh… _ ” I said, drawing my sword. I didn’t want to give them the advantage of knowing we were there. “Stay there,” I whispered to her.

    I rounded the corner, and found the source of the crying, putting my sword away.

    It really was a baby, in a cradle of woven tree bark. “Uli! It’s fine!” I called to her. She came in, her eyes immediately on the baby in the cradle. 

    There wasn’t much of a note… just a tiny slip of paper clutched in the baby's hand, with a single word written on it:  _ Link.  _ Perhaps the baby’s name? Why leave him out in the woods like this? Monsters ruled the forest, not to mention the mischievous Skull Kid that was said to run around in the northern woods. 

    But here the baby was, kicking the air and bawling. I noticed the strange birthmark on the back of his hand: The Royal Crest of Hyrule. More questions came to my mind, but I never asked them. I supposed that it was just a normal birthmark, with no other explanation. 

    He was obviously hungry, so Uli carried the baby and I carried the cradle back to the village. We brought the child to the mayor, whose wife had recently died of childbirth to a baby girl by the name of Ilia.

    “I am in no way ready to take care of 2 children on my own,” he said.

    “We can’t leave him out in the woods again!” I said. “He’ll die out there.”

    “I didn’t say to leave him out in the woods,” The mayor replied. “With proper assistance, you and Uli could care for him.”

    I thought about it for a moment. Sure, we would need help from the other villagers to raise him, but it was possible.

    So Uli and I raised Link. Sort of. Others did so much to help, it was hard to tell who was truly raising him. He was a great kid, gave everything his all from the very start. And Ilia, despite being a girl, became Link’s first friend. But he would never hesitate to watch me when I used my sword.

    From a very young age, he was entranced with it.

    “Hey, Rusl…” Link said to me once as I practiced. He was about 4 at the time. Even then, his hair was thick and flew in the breeze. “Would you teach me to use a sword?”

    I thrust my sword into the ground, a hand on my chin, considering the tiny boy in front of me, his big blue eyes begging.

    “You’re a little young yet, Link,” I told him. “Give it a few years. The wait will be worth it.”

    He nodded, crestfallen. He walked slowly away. I watched him as he left, and my heart fell a little at his disappointment. 

    I felt bad for making him so sad. And I made a decision that night.

    I would support him in his swordplay in any way I could. And I began that next day.

    I found a sturdy branch out in the woods and brought it back to the village.

    In addition to being a swordsman, I also made them relatively well.

    I crafted a small wooden sword, one about the proper size for a 4-year-old-boy. I presented it to him a year or so later.

    It took so long because not only is a proper wooden sword difficult to craft, I was preparing for a wedding: A few months before the sword was complete, I asked Uli, the love of my life, to marry me and she accepted.

    It was a small village wedding: I crafted simple silver rings, Uli wore her best dress, we got everyone together, Ilia was the flower girl, Link the ring bearer, and the mayor performed the ceremony. Sera was even kind enough to make us a cake!

    Long story short, it was one of the best days of my life.

    A few weeks later, after the wedding stress died, I presented the sword to the little boy. 

    When I handed it to him, he just stared at it: complete with a leather-wrapped hilt. “Does this mean you’ll teach me now?” he whispered quietly.

    “Yup. I’ll teach you.”

    I gave him a set of rules (No hitting people, keeping it out of reach of monkeys, etc.) and we began lessons.

    Every day at sunrise, lessons would start. I taught him basic drills, watched his form, cleaned up flaws and the like. He was eager to learn, and he continually strived for perfection. He truly had a knack for swordsmanship.

    When Link turned 8 (along with a new wooden sword), the village decided Link needed a house of his own. We set aside a week and a tree just outside the village: He would get a pleasant view of the village gates and he’d have a sort of front yard in a clearing if we built one in the tree.

    Everyone worked, even Link and Ilia. They couldn’t carry heavy lumber, but they could handle running tools to the adults on site. After a week of almost nonstop heavy labor, it was complete. There was a loft next to the window overlooking the yard with a comfortable bedroom space, a cozy hearth, and we even installed a basement for storage! 

    Link thanked us again and again for helping. There wasn’t much of a housewarming party, but we all supplied some housewares for Link’s place. It really wasn’t all that shabby of a place, really.

    Sword lessons continued, and Link went home each night. 

    When Link turned ten, (another sword… I told myself that if he kept growing like this, not only in stature, but in skill, he might be able to handle a metal sword at the age of 12. But often, the materials were hard to come by.) Uli gave birth to a healthy baby boy. We named him Colin.

    Link loved him instantly, and vice versa. Link was fond of all the village children, Beth, Talo, and Colin. He spent his days babysitting and spending time with the small children, who all loved him in return. 

    It troubled Link that Colin was often teased by Talo… I’ll admit it troubled me, too. I encouraged Colin to spend time with Link… I thought that the younger boy would learn from Link’s strength.

    Link continued to learn swordplay from me. I was impressed by his improvement over the years. He was gifted. Soon, there wouldn’t be much more for me to teach him. When he turned 12, I gave him his last wooden sword. I would hone it for him every year or so, but I wouldn’t have to keep making more. Soon, he would be ready for an iron sword. We began to spar with one another. He was eager competition. Soon, he began to drill himself.

    When he turned 15, the village children getting older, Link spent more and more of his time at the ranch. We had 10-20 Ordon Goats in a fenced pasture off the village, and a tall man by the name of Fado was charged with taking care of them, but they didn’t like to listen to him much.

    The whole village decided he needed help.

    As a surprise as well as a request to take the job, early one morning I walked to Hyrule Castle Town. I purchased a young horse that Link could use in his farm chores. She was beautiful, a chestnut feathered mare with a white mane. Her name was Epona, and she was just the right size for Link. They would grow together.

    When I took Epona home that evening, I tied her to the sign near Link’s house, making sure he was in the main village. I covered his eyes and had him walk back to his house.

    Link knew something was up. “Rusl… you smell different.”

    It was the horses… “Just wait,” I told him, a smile creeping into my voice. 

    Epona whickered when Link came close. He was puzzled. “Rusl, wha-- oh wow…”

    I had uncovered his eyes. “Rusl, she’s beautiful. How did you ever get the Rupees--”

    He looked behind him, all the other villagers standing nearby. 

    “Everyone chipped in. It was worth it,” Uli said.

    “I… I don’t even know what to say…” Link said. There was no other horses in the village. He would be the first.

    “I’ve needed a ranch hand for awhile, bud,” Fado said, coming forward. “The goats often don’t listen to a thing I say. You up for it?” 

    Link’s face lit up. “Up for it? Absolutely!”

    For the next few years, life was set into a rhythm that Link handled rather well. I spent lots of time with him as we finished off teaching him all I knew. Soon, he could almost best me. He spent time with Ilia and the village children (now one member larger now that Talo now had a younger brother), herding goats, and swordplay, then go to sleep and do it again.


End file.
